Donegal woman Sadie Duffy is honoured by Irish Boxing Board

Donegal woman Sadie Duffy is honoured by Irish Boxing Board

Illies Golden Gloves woman Sadie Duffy was honoured on Friday night by the IABA for her services to boxing.

Duffy, along with former boxing star Bernard Dunne, were acknowledged for ‘dedicated and loyal service to the Irish Athletic Amateur Boxing Association for many years’ at the Irish Elite finals in the National Stadium.

Illies clubwoman Duffy is a referee and judge, who has officiated at some of the world’s biggest Championships and bouts.

She was the first female to referee at an AIBA Championships, in Azerbaijan in August 2007.

She has officiated on 44 occasions at AIBA Championships.

Duffy has taken charge of some of the country’s most high-profile bouts, including the 2011 Irish light-heavyweight final that saw Joe Ward defeat Kenny Egan on a night when Neilstown man Egan was aiming for an eleventh-successive title.

The Illies Golden Gloves woman served as secretary of the European Women’s Commission, but resigned from that role after the AIBA ruled that officers could no longer hold a position on the Commission and also act as a referee/judge.

She is the secretary of the Ulster Boxing Council, while one of her big claims to fame is that she refereed the first female fight in Ireland, in October 2001 when Katie Taylor defeated Alanna Audley.

Duffy also refereed when Dunne won his first senior title in 1999, defeating Terry Carlyle.

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Chris McNulty is a sports writer and founder of Donegal Sport Hub from St Johnston, now based in Letterkenny. He was a nominee for NUJ Sports Journalist of the Year in 2010 and was honoured by the Donegal Boxing Board in 2016.